Fastener and fastener installation



Oct. 26, 1943- R. w. JOHNSON FASTENER AND FASTENER INSTALLATION Filed Dec. 12, 1940 RwseZZ WJbiz/mon. .9 (MA I Invenia Pan... o... 6; 1943 g C, 1 3 2,332,852

uNi'rEo sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE 2,332,852 rssranna AND rasrmamsrmrron Russell W. Johnson, Detroit, Mich assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 12, 1940, Serial Np. 369,845

4 Claims. 1895-88) Q This invention relates tofastener members and behind material of the support adjacent the fastener installations and is directed particularly opening. to a fastening in which a trim strip of phrenolic It will be noticed that in my preferred instalcondensate material is secured to a metal suplation the longitudinal edges to of the strip 3 porting panel. I 5 abut the upper surface ll of the'support i (Fig.

One of the objects of my invention is the pro- 2). Thus I have shown the use of my fastener vision of a fastener member having means .for member in a simple trim installation wherein it engagement with a stud projecting from the in-- is desired for purposes of ornamentation to sener surface of a trim strip so as to be secured cure a trim strip in abutting relation to the same in fixed assembly with the trim strip and also supporting panel through which the fastener is providing means to effect snap fastener engagesnapped. It should be understood, however, that ment with a supporting panel through an aper- I my fastener is equally adaptable to use with other ture thereof to secure the strip firmly to the installations, as, for example, where it is desired panel. I to secure a breaker strip between the inner and Another object of my invention is directed to outer spaced walls of a refrigerator compartment. the particular construction of the fastener where- In such an installation the inner and outer walls in it provides yieldable arms engaging the inner of the compartment have inturned flanges adsurface of the trim strip enabling the fastener to jacent the door opening and spaced for their enbe maintained in fixed non-movable relation to tire lengths and a strip of Bakelite or other suitthe strip. abl insulating material, such as the strip 3 of Other objects and uses of my invention will be the drawing, is applied to the flanges so that the apparent from inspection of the drawing and longitudinal edges of the strip abpt the outer surspecification hereinbelow set forth. faces of th flanges and the strip covers com- Referring to the drawing, in which Ihave illuspletely the space between the walls. In an intrated a preferred embodiment of my invention: stallation of this sort the supporting panel is Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my preferred fassecured in insulated relation to the inner surfaces tener installation including a supporting part and of the flanges and positioned in a way to bridge a trim strip secured to the supporting part by theflanges. The strip 3, when used in the aforemeans of my improved fastener member; said refrigerator installation, is visible when the Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken 3 compartment door is open and'therefore it is dealong the line 2-2 of Fig. l; sirable that it have a smooth and unmarked outer Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of surface so as to enhance the appearance of the Fig. 2; cabinet.

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 44 of Referring indetail to my improved fastener Fig. 2; member 9, I have shown one formed entirely from Fig. 5 is an edge elevation of my improved fasa single piece of spring metal. The fastener protener member per se; and vides a head portion l2 which is relatively flat Fig. 6 is aside elevation of the fastener member having an opening for receiving the shank 6 of shown in Fig. 5. r the stud 4 and a series of yieldable finger ele- Referring to a preferred installation of my in- 4 ments l3 bent from the plane of the head. The vention illustrated in Figs. 1-4, I have provided a elements i3 have pointed free ends [4 adjacent flat supporting panel I, which is preferably metal, the stud-receiving opening and adapted to bite having an opening 2 therein which is preferably into the shank when the same is forced through rectangular in shape. The supporting part 3, the opening. A pair of yieldable arms i 5 extend which I have chosen for purposes of illuslaterally from opposite side edges l6 (Fig. 4) of tration, is in the form of a strip of insulating the head. The arms of each pair are disposed in material which is curved in transverse crosssubstantially the same plane and in spaced relasection, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. A protion. The free ends I! of the arms are, in norjection or stud 4 extends from' the inner surmal position of the arms, preferably disposed face 5 of the strip for a purpose to be described. slightly beneath the plane of the head i2, view- The stud 4 comprises a shank 6, which may be ing Figs. 5 and 6. The fastener provides a suphollow or solid, and a base i having prongs 8 port-engaging shank comprising a pair of opmolded within the strip 3 to secure the stud in posed yieldable legs l8l8 integrally joined to firm attachment to the strip. The strip 3 is seopposite edges iii of the head 12 between respeccured to the support I by means of my improved tive pairs of arms l5. Portions of the legs difastener member 9 having spring elements enverge in a direction away from the head i2 and gageable with the shank 6 of the stud to secure then converge to their free ends forming shoulthe fastener in assembly with the strip 3 and ders l9l9.

support-engaging portions adapted to be snapped Assembly of the parts of the installation is through the opening 2 of the support and engage preferably carried out through first securing the engage the inner'surface.

fastener member 9 in assembly with the supporting strip 3. This is accomplished by moving the head'oi the fastener toward the stud 4 to force the shank 6 between the finger elements l3. The finger elements are expanded by this action and their free ends l4 bite into the shank of the stud under the adherent tension of the elements so as to resist any force tending to pull the fastener off the pin. During the operation by which the finger elements are engaged with the stud, the spring arms I engage the inner surface 5 of the strip and the free ends I! of he arms are bent downwardly to an increased degree, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2, so as to resiliently Resilient engagement of the arms I5 with the strip tends to balance the fastener so as to prevent relative rocking between the fastener head and stud when the legs are snapped into engagement with the support. Also, the ends ll of the arms engage the'inner surface 5 of the strip under sufficient tension to resist the tendency of the fastener to rotate on the stud.

The fastener member is now securely assembled with the strip 3 and the strip is ready for application to the panel I. This is accomplished by moving the strip toward the panel to project the legs lB-IB through the aperture 2. Movement of the legs l8 through the aperture is continued until the free edges ll] of the strip 3 abut the outer surface H of the support. At this time the shoulders l9 have passed through the aperture and the legs l8, which were contracted by movement thereof throughthe' aperture, expand to engage 'the shoulders l9 behind the lower surface l2 of the support, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Thus it will be seen that by my invention I have provided a fastener of simple and inexpensive construction capable of assembly with a part to be supported so as to be positioned entirely on the inner side thereof thereby leaving the outer side of the part smooth and unmarked. At the same time, the fastener is capable of snap fastener engagement with a support to secure the strip in firm engagement therewith.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fastener assembly comprising, in combination, a support having an aperture, a part to be supported having a stud projecting from the inner surface thereof at a point spaced outwardly from the support, and a fastener member securing said supported part to said support, said fastener having a head located in outwardly spaced relation from the support, stud-engaging means integral with said head and in fastener engagement with said stud to secure said fastener to said supported part, arms extending on opposed sides of said head and resiliently engaging said inner surface of said supported part spaced outwardly from the support to maintain said fastener against rocking movement and rotation relative to the stud, and a shank extending on one side of said head comprising a pair of opposed yieldable legs, said legs being shouldered intermediate their ends for snap fastener engagement with said support through said aperture thereof.

2. A fastener assembly comprising, in combination, a support having an aperture, a strip to be secured to said support, said strip being curved ,in transverse cross-section and having a stud projecting from the inner surface thereof at a point spaced outwardly from the strip, and a rocking movement and rotation of the fastener member. relative to the stud, and a pair of opposed yieldable legs joined to the sides of said head between said respective pairs of arms, said legs being shouldered intermediate their ends for snap fastener engagement with said support through said aperture thereof.

3. A fastener member for securing a stud-carrying part to be secured to an apertured support, said fastener member comprising a substantially fiat head, a stud-receiving opening in said head, stud-engaging means integral with the head adjacent said stud-receiving opening, arms integral with and projecting laterally from the head on opposite sides of said opening adapted to engage the inner surface of the part to be secured to maintain the fastener member against rocking movement and rotation relative to the stud in dependently of connection of the fastener member with the ,support, and a shank for securing connection between the fastener member and the support comprising a pair of resilient legs projecting in spaced relation to each other from one side of the head, said legs having portions thereof adjacent the head bent inwardly towards each other and forming av reduced shank neck portion and having further portions beyond said reduced neck portion bent to form shoulders for snap fastener engagement with the support through an aperture therein.

4. A fastener member for securing a stud-carrying part to be secured to an apertured support, said fastener member comprising a substantially fiat head, a stud-receiving opening in said head, stud-engaging means integral with the head adjacent said stud receiving opening, a pair of spaced yieldable arms integral with and extending laterally from each of opposite sides of the head and adapted to engage the inner surface of the part to be secured to maintain the fastener member against rocking movement and rotation relative to the stud independently of any connection between the fastener member and the support, and a shank for securing connection between the fastener member and the support comprising a pair of resilient legs projecting in spaced relation to each other from one side of the head, said legs having portions thereof adjacent the head bent inwardly towards each other and forming a reduced shank neck portion and having further portions beyond said reduced'neck portion bent to form shoulders for snap fastener engagement with the support through an aperture therein.

RUSSELL W. JOHNSON. 

